Agenda and draft minutes

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The purpose of this report is to provide Cabinet with the consultation responses to a statutory representation period on the published proposal to close Monkseaton High School. The data and analysis for the consultation responses received between 15 November and 9 December 2024 are summarised in this report and provided in detail in appendices 1 and 2.  A supplementary report will be supplied to Cabinet following the conclusion of the representation period on 13 December 2024 and ahead of the meeting on 19 December 2024 to ensure Cabinet has all relevant information in order to make its decision.

It was considered appropriate to publish this report on Wednesday 11 December prior to the representation period closing on Friday 13 December to enable Cabinet members and stakeholders, including parents and school colleagues, to have sufficient time to digest all of the information contained within the report and the appendices ahead of the Cabinet meeting on 19 December. It is anticipated that the bulk of the responses have now been received and only a relatively small remainder will be contained within the supplementary report. The Authority is committed to transparency in its decision making on this matter. It is also recognised that a prolonged period of uncertainty would be unwelcome for those directly impacted by the proposals who, understandably, want more information about how the proposal, if agreed, would be implemented and how that is likely to impact upon them and their family. If the proposal is agreed in December and implementation can begin in January it will enable the extraordinary in-year admissions process to be undertaken in the New Year.

For completeness, the report also provides Cabinet with the responses to the pre-publication consultation which took place for six weeks between 17 September and 30 October 2024 and was carried out in accordance with Department for Education (DfE) statutory guidance.  

Cabinet is being asked to consider the responses, together with the information supplied in the report and its appendices to determine whether or not the proposal to close Monkseaton High School should be approved.

A report was presented which provided Cabinet with the consultation responses that had been received during the statutory representation period on the published proposal to close Monkseaton High School.  Cabinet was also provided with details of the responses received during the pre-publication consultation.  Cabinet was also advised that the data and analysis received during the consultation period between 15 November and 9 December 2024 were summarised in the report. A supplementary report relating to these matters had been published on 16 December 2024 and was also considered by Cabinet during the meeting.

Cabinet was advised that it was considered appropriate to publish the initial Cabinet report on 11 December 2024 prior to the representation period closing on 13 December 2024 in order that Cabinet members, parents and school colleagues had received all of the relevant information and had sufficient time to consider the information.  Cabinet was also advised that it had been recognised that a prolonged period of uncertainty would be unwelcome for those directly impacted by the proposals who understandably might welcome more information about how the proposal, if agreed, would be implemented.

Cabinet was asked to consider the responses, including those contained within the supplementary report, together with the information supplied in the report and appendices to determine whether or not the proposal to close Monkseaton High School should be approved.

During the meeting, the Cabinet Member for Education, Inclusion, Employment and Skills responded to a number of questions from Cabinet members in relation to the proposal to close Monkseaton High School from September 2026.

Cabinet Resolved unanimously to approve the proposal, without modification, that Monkseaton High School shall close on 31 August 2026, as per the implementation timetable referred to in the full statutory proposal attached to the report.

Reason for the Decision

The above recommendation was approved for the following reasons:

• Under section 15 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, the Authority believed the closure of Monkseaton High School was considered necessary on the basis that it was no longer viable.  In addition, there were surplus places elsewhere in the local area, which can accommodate displaced pupils, and there was no predicted increase in demand for the school in the medium to long term.
• Monkseaton High School had a significant financial deficit, currently over £5m, which was projected to increase to over £7 million by 2027. This was not sustainable and was impacting the stability of the school and, despite the best efforts of school leadership and staff, it posed a risk to the quality of education that can be delivered to pupils. Financial rules state that schools cannot operate with sustained deficits, and forecasts from the school show this deficit was set to increase.
• Declining pupil numbers and lower birth rates mean that the school was operating at just over 50% of its capacity. The school has capacity for 964 pupils. In 2009 the number of pupils on roll was 783 and in 2024 it was 527. Whilst pupil numbers have recovered from a  ...  view the full minutes text for item CAB83/24

Monday 20 January 2025 at 6.00pm.

The next meeting will take place on Monday 20 January 2025 at 6.00pm